President Barack Obama returns to Los Angeles Sunday for a star-bedecked celebrity concert and fundraising dinner. In the wake of his Denver debate troubles, however, the long scheduled visit has acquired another, equally urgent purpose—reassuring his Hollywood supporters that he’s fighting to win the race and he’s poised for a comeback in the next televised forum with former Gov. Mitt Romney…

At the very least, several longtime Obama supporters told THR, the chief executive should expect some directorial notes on how to tailor his performance to television’s split screen. “Everyone with a connection to the president is reaching out to him,” said another veteran Dem. “At the end of the day, the best coach he has is himself.”

“The president showed up with the intent of answering questions and having a discussion, an honest discussion of where we will go as a country, and Romney showed up to deliver a performance, and he delivered a very good performance,” Axelrod said. “It was completely un-rooted in fact, it was completely un-rooted in the positions he’s taken before and he spent 90 minutes trying to undo two years of campaigning on that stage, but he did it very well.”…

Expectations have changed after the greatest audience in the history of presidential debates saw a veritable empty suit — or empty chair — on stage, without a helpful media follow-up question, or a “make no mistake about it” refrain to be had. Over 60 million now expect little at all from their president in the debate, so Obama will benefit from dismal expectations by just showing up as the incumbent and being addressed as “Mr. President.” The pressure on Romney to be even more impressive mounts. The realization that another rant by a liberal commentator could cement the reputation of Obama as an incompetent and add to the image of a hopelessly inept president will temper post-debate media anger. The moderator cannot afford to be laissez-faire in the fashion of Jim Lehrer, and will prove far more partisan. The media pressure to discount the importance of the debates themselves will increase.

The first, and the most dangerous threat to Obama’s re-election, is a critical mass of voters saying this: “Barack Obama, nice man, good father, great that we finally elected an African-American. He tried hard. But you know what? I just want to try something new, even if I don’t know it will work.”

That sentiment is deadly for Obama. As long as Romney didn’t seem like a credible alternative, Obama kept it at bay, even though the economy has stagnated. But Romney reawakened that mood by the confident and crisp way he talked about the mechanics of how jobs are created — through start-ups, small businesses and entrepreneurship — and the catalytic power of markets. His presentation crackled with a freshness and a sense of possibility that was completely missing in Obama’s monotone discussion of health care, deficits and government programs. And where Obama had a chance to talk about how his own green jobs initiative has actually spurred all kinds of innovations and start-ups, he whiffed. (As some have noted, it is too bad the debate rules didn’t allow him to phone a friend.)

“Paul is going to do a great job, but also I think it’s very important that people understand that, people realize that Joe Biden is a gifted orator, is very good at rhetoric, is very relatable,” he added…

“Last week you saw the difference: an unfiltered Mitt Romney, an unfiltered Barack Obama,” he said of the debate. “You saw inspiration, heart, preparedness from Mitt Romney and you saw a president that came in unprepared and uninspiring.”

“It was one of the most inept performances by an incumbent president that I’ve ever seen,” said TIME Magazine columnist Joe Klein. He said that Obama’s performance was indicative of his deferential demeanor and his aversion towards public fights. However, Klein said that Obama opted for “unilateral disarmament” in the face of Romney’s attacks on his record.

MSNBC host S.E. Cupp said that her contacts within the Romney campaign see this debate as facilitating a reset of the campaign in three parts. First, they wanted a fight, which they got. Second, the debate ignited the attentions of marginally interested swing voters. Finally, they feel that the debate allowed disaffected Obama voters from 2008 the license to take a second look at Romney.

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Why he’s falling apart
The foundations of Obama’s campaign are not nearly as strong as they once seemed

A presidential reelection campaign needs three key elements: a defense of the incumbent’s record, a successful effort to define the opposition and a compelling vision of a second term.

President Obama may well celebrate a second term in Chicago next month, but the conventional wisdom underestimates the difficulty he faces, as his campaign has distinct problems with all three elements.

His defense of his record is exceptionally weak, his effort to define Mitt Romney is nearly exhausted, and his vision for the next four years — perhaps the most important — has been largely missing from his effort this year.

Expectations have changed after the greatest audience in the history of presidential debates saw a veritable empty suit — or empty chair — on stage, without a helpful media follow-up question, or a “make no mistake about it” refrain to be had.

The best explanation came from Brit Hume: They had a discussion. Obama did not lose on debating style–his debate style has always been mediocre. But the facts favor Mitt Romney’s position. So the combination of Dems thinking Barack Obama is ten feet tall and Romney actually doing a decent job explaining his positions and defending them caused Obama to lose.

Obama lost on the merits. And all the whining of Alexrod and other apologists does not change that.

If they tried to block the donation scandal story for days now, then maybe that was what distracted Obummer on wednesday. Maybe he knows that this thing is so big that the debates will hardly matter after the publication.

Having invested themselves in the illusion of him as the fulfillment of the liberal dream of shattering glass ceilings and pernicious racial stereotypes, his evident lack of preparation felt like a betrayal to some. They are starting to catch on that they bought into an illusion. So they are turning on him.

The most surprising thing to me about Obama’s debate performance, and the spin by his surrogates after the fact, is that they actually seemed to believe their own misrepresentations of Romney’s positions and didn’t expect Romney to challenge them. Usually, politicians accuse their opponents of lying, that’s par for the course, but they know the score. They know that they are shading assumptions, whatever, but not this time. They seem genuinely offended. This is the “ROMNEY LIED!!” talking point and it’s quite troubling. It shows that Obama is in even bigger bubble than I could have ever imagined.

He [Obama rumpswab Joe Klein] said that Obama’s performance was indicative of his deferential demeanor and his aversion towards public fights. However, Klein said that Obama opted for “unilateral disarmament” in the face of Romney’s attacks on his record.

I’d like to see any other example at all of this deferential demeanor… anyone… Bueller?

Lol. We will see Oct 16th. I expect Obama to put this dog to sleep finally. The Cinderella run was good while it lasted.

HotAirLib on October 7, 2012 at 8:11 PM

Actually the dog has been asleep for 3 years and everyone sees it. Obama isn’t going to do anything in the next debate, he is an intellectual lightweight and cannot defend his own record. Say goodnight to your messiah

These lefties are so deranged. Maureen Dowd’s column about how Obama should have responded to Romney’s debate “lies” made me laugh out loud. Why didn’t Obama talk about GM’s record profits? Probably because that would have given Romney an opening to talk about how GM is getting billions of dollars in special tax breaks from the government (that the other car companies don’t get), and how GM still owes taxpayers over $20 billion, and how the government still can’t sell its huge stock position in GM because the stock price is so low that it would mean taxpayers would have to take a loss of @ $15 billion, and how GM is goosing up its U.S. sales numbers by making a bunch of fleet sales to its favorite customer and biggest stockholder — the U.S. government, and how GM is still burdened with inept management, crappy products, and uncompetitive union contracts and underfunded pension obligations that will probably drive it back into bankruptcy within the next decade.

Dowd also whined about Romney’s mention of the $716 billion dollars in Medicare cuts that Obama is responsible for. Why didn’t Obama explain that those cuts are not to Medicare beneficiaries, but only to Medicare providers? LOL. Probably because Obama realized seniors aren’t so stupid that they can’t understand that when Medicare providers get their reimbursements cut by 3/4 of a Trillion Dollars, Medicare providers provide fewer, and lower quality, benefits to Medicare beneficiaries (or they simply stop providing any Medicare benefits at all).

Lol. We will see Oct 16th. I expect Obama to put this dog to sleep (emphasis added) finally. The Cinderella run was good while it lasted.

HotAirLib on October 7, 2012 at 8:11 PM

Another psychopathic Obama supporter. Like attracts like, I guess. Anyone who thinks that “putting a dog to sleep”, one of the most gut-wrenching decisions anyone ever has to make (because we don’t do that to people, you know, at least not yet) is an appropriate metaphor has something wrong with them.

Another psychopathic Obama supporter. Like attracts like, I guess. Anyone who thinks that “putting a dog to sleep”, one of the most gut-wrenching decisions anyone ever has to make (because we don’t do that to people, you know, at least not yet) is an appropriate metaphor has something wrong with them.

“Lol. We will see Oct 16th. I expect Obama to put this dog to sleep (emphasis added) finally. The Cinderella run was good while it lasted.

HotAirLib on October 7, 2012 at 8:11 PM”

The debate already put the Romney momentum to sleep and the big PPP Virginia poll will be out soon showing Obama still in the lead, which is just what I said would happen. All the numbers crashed for Mitt on Saturday.

Another psychopathic Obama supporter. Like attracts like, I guess. Anyone who thinks that “putting a dog to sleep”, one of the most gut-wrenching decisions anyone ever has to make (because we don’t do that to people, you know, at least not yet) is an appropriate metaphor has something wrong with them.

President Barack Obama returns to Los Angeles Sunday for a star-bedecked celebrity concert and fundraising dinner. In the wake of his Denver debate troubles, however, the long scheduled visit has acquired another, equally urgent purpose—reassuring his Hollywood supporters that he’s fighting to win the race and he’s poised for a comeback…

The debate already put the Romney momentum to sleep and the big PPP Virginia poll will be out soon showing Obama still in the lead, which is just what I said would happen. All the numbers crashed for Mitt on Saturday.

gumbyandpokey on October 7, 2012 at 8:28 PM

Yes pop they are so reliable har har har,

Why are these trolls coming out? I guess they just got back from mooching off their neighbor for the nfl ticket and wings and now are back home in their moms basement

‘Fluff without substance” That is quite the “on target” description of the Failure-in-chief, isn’t it? The epitome of the Empty suit, or chair, for that matter! The Obama Spin was rampant, but I doubt much will help, in these Sunday media assist centers! It’ll be interesting to see how many people tune in to the next debate!
Update for those following:How to take on the Obama Enemy media: http://paratisiusa.blogspot.com/2012/09/an-open-letter-to-those-who-should-know.html?spref=tw

“The debate already put the Romney momentum to sleep and the big PPP Virginia poll will be out soon showing Obama still in the lead, which is just what I said would happen. All the numbers crashed for Mitt on Saturday.

gumbyandpokey on October 7, 2012 at 8:28 PM

Yes pop they are so reliable har har har,

Why are these trolls coming out? I guess they just got back from mooching off their neighbor for the nfl ticket and wings and now are back home in their moms basement

Conservative4ev on October 7, 2012 at 8:29 PM”

It was big news when PPP showed WI narrowing, even though they used a very favorable sample (only Dem +1, which will not happen with colleges in session). So it’s equally big news when a true battleground state like VA is polled and shows Romney’s bounce collapsing Sat and Sun.

Most people seem to be missing the main point about the debates. True, Obama was a bit off his game, and Romney did very well. But the main thing is that the ISSUES favor us. Obamacare, the deficit + loaning $ to China, the $90 billion wasted on the green energy boondoggles, etc. So, the key is to be very well versed on how to exploit these issues, and we win.

The debate already put the Romney momentum to sleep and the big PPP Virginia poll will be out soon showing Obama still in the lead, which is just what I said would happen. All the numbers crashed for Mitt on Saturday.

gumbyandpokey on October 7, 2012 at 8:28 PM

You lie more than Obama. All the numbers crashed for Mitt on Saturday? In the real world, no, they didn’t. Can you please give your troll card to someone who isn’t in high school and who can present more cogent arguments? Coming to this site and flat-out lying isn’t considered ‘effort’, even by real trolls.

By the way, the is no such thing as a ‘big PPP Virginia poll.” Rookie.

For a second there, thought you might be alluding to the other reason for Obama’s California visit. Still skimming for the Hispanic vote. Obama owes him for “¡Si, se puede!” in 2008. In 2012 it’s “¡no, nadie se habría podido!”

The comments which follow savaging Obama are worth reading, too. Perhaps, as Cliff Thier suggests, the cover “has brought a very downmarket element to the New Yorker’s web site. Very uncouth comments. It’s like a motorcycle gang has invaded a bucolic college campus.”

“The debate already put the Romney momentum to sleep and the big PPP Virginia poll will be out soon showing Obama still in the lead, which is just what I said would happen. All the numbers crashed for Mitt on Saturday.

Pat Caddell on how Romney failed to take advantage of his debate performance…

“So what the Romney campaign needs now–has, in fact, needed in the days since that Denver debate–is a real strategy for pressing home its newfound advantage. It is surprising to me–no, make that amazing, unbelievable, incomprehensible–that the Romney campaign is not using footage of the debates in its campaign ads. Instead, the latest Romney spot shows a distinctly pre-debate mindset, hammering, of all people, Stephanie Cutter. Well, here’s a news flash for the Romney campaign–Ms. Cutter is not on the ballot in a month….

“A smarter Romney campaign would have gone national–not just local and swing-state–with ads touting Romney’s performance, and also reminding people, however subtly, that Obama wimped out in Denver. That is, rather than simply paying the extortionate ad prices in the over-bought swing states, the Romney campaign should invest a little money to persuade the whole nation that he is a strong debater and thus a strong debater. As in 1980, there’s a national wave waiting to happen against the incumbent Democrat in the White House, and so a national campaign–at least for this moment–would serve to remind folks that Romney wants to be the leader of the whole country. And who knows–such campaign nationalization could break loose a blue state or two. ”

“Everyone is in shock,” said one long-time Democratic activist. “No one can understand what happened.”

48% forecasted this in 08…his mask was ripped off debate night, followed by his Armani suit and his manties, all neatly stacked next to the empty chair at the podium…other than Mitt staying on attack with his no huddle offense, there was no surprise for me, all so predicatble with a teleprompter-less stage….